


like a cat

by krucxa



Series: here, kitty kitty [1]
Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Attempt at Humor, Don't Examine This Too Closely, M/M, Misunderstandings, Unreliable Narrator, because i love writing dumbass characters, but only at first, idiots to lovers, juyeon is a catboy that's all u need to know, rated T only for some swears, side sunric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krucxa/pseuds/krucxa
Summary: Sharing a flat with a cat spirit can be confusing at times, especially as a human.
Relationships: Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon
Series: here, kitty kitty [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982843
Comments: 10
Kudos: 139





	like a cat

**Author's Note:**

> listen i don't know what to say except: juyeon catboy  
> this was supposed to be like 3k words long. i don't know what happened. but i hope that you'll find this funny anyway!!

Sharing a flat with a cat spirit can be confusing at times, especially as a human.

Not to say that it can't be in any way enjoyable, no, Hyunjae is sure that he could have it worse. He doesn't even want to remember how desperate he was to find an affordable place to stay at almost a whole year back; at the time, he even tried to convince himself that living with a rusałka or a gumiho wasn't as bad of an idea as it sounds. So, overall, it's a good thing that he ended up with Juyeon, out of all the other options.

The thing that pushed him into actually moving in with the said boy was, well, just this one stupid thought that he had. Hyunjae had figured that it would probably be like living with a—tad overgrown—kitten. Which ended up being an understatement of the century, but at least his assumption was, well, somewhat close to the truth.

Because, as it turns out, despite their humanlike looks, some of the questionable cat habits remain.

Hyunjae finds that out the hard way.

"What the fuck, Juyeon," he hisses under his breath, gaze glued to the cup currently lying on the floor, a startled Juyeon hovering over the kitchen counter, completely frozen.

He looks like a deer caught in headlights. Though perhaps in this case, the saying isn't very accurate, as the cat ears standing alert on top of Juyeon's head are, truly, _far_ from a deer's own. But that's just a detail, unimportant under current circumstances.

The thing is, Hyunjae recognizes the cup in question all too well. It's his favorite one, actually. And Juyeon knows that too, given the fact that he'd repeatedly threatened to clip off Juyeon's claws if he ever used Hyunjae's lucky cup.

The threats were empty, of course. He wouldn't be able to do that even if he really wanted to. Though, in this situation, he may actually reconsider how serious of a warning these were.

So to say that Hyunjae's metaphoric feathers have been ruffled at this very moment would be pretty accurate.

Mere seconds ago, he'd walked into the kitchen and helplessly watched Juyeon's hand paw at the cup in question as it stood dangerously close to the edge of the counter, and just as he feared, the object fell, bouncing off the kitchen tiles just to lie right in front of Hyunjae's feet. Juyeon is damn lucky that it didn't break, otherwise Hyunjae would be morally obligated to murder him.

Juyeon's ears flick, then move to the back of his head; wary, if Hyunjae's assumption is correct. He hasn't seen it happen too often, but he already realized what the little gesture means. After all, they have lived together for almost a year, now.

"In my defence," Juyeon says, eyes deceptively innocent, "the cup was right there. By the edge. It was basically _asking_ for it."

Baffled, all that Hyunjae can reply with is, "what king of logic is that?" before he cuts himself off with a sigh, "you know what, nevermind. Now, tell me, why did you do it?"

Juyeon blinks.

"I already did," he responds, face carefully blank.

Hyunjae almost lunges at him out of frustration, but stops himself in time. He doesn't even know where these apparently homicidal urges came from; he likes to think of himself as a pacifist, mostly, but something about the other just brings it out of Hyunjae half of the time. The other half Juyeon makes him feel... fond, perhaps, but he'd rather ignore that part.

So he takes a breath in. Then he breathes out. With a pinched look, he responds, "no, that was an excuse. Tell me the real reason and I might just forgive you."

Finally, the other actually looks apologetic. He slouches, probably trying to appear smaller, which may have worked if he wasn't so tall. He's pouting, too, but Hyunjae tries not to pay it too much attention because he knows that if he thinks that Juyeon is, actually, a bit cute then his frustration will die down as fast as it flared up.

And so he watches as Juyeon drops his gaze to the floor, then glances right back at Hyunjae once more. To his surprise, the other appears slightly embarrassed.

"You weren't paying attention to me," Juyeon eventually murmurs, and Hyunjae's brain immediately malfunctions.

The thing is, in any other situation, he may have considered it somewhat endearing—that is, if he wasn't so confused by the words. And by Juyeon's actions in general.

Maybe he needs to research cat behavior, or something. Going by the amount of times that he genuinely can't tell what's going through Juyeon's mind. One would think that by now, he would understand his flatmate a bit more, and yet.

This is getting ridiculous.

"Let me get this straight," he says, holding his hands in front of his face before sighing and pointing at Juyeon, "you almost smashed my favorite cup because I was, what, busy?"

For a moment, neither of them speak, and Hyunjae almost starts to think that Juyeon won't even respond, just leave it at that. But then, the other slowly nods, appearing mildly flustered, and—and Hyunjae really doesn't know what to do with this information.

So he blinks. And he drags a palm down his face. Then he decides that he's too tired to deal with this entire situation.

"Okay, I think—I think I need a nap. Jesus Christ. You're welcome to join me, I guess, if you want," with that, he gestures towards his bedroom, and Juyeon's eyes light up. One of the only things that Hyunjae has learned about cat sprites is that they apparently sleep almost as much as actual cats do, so at this point he's pretty sure the other would never pass up an opportunity to nap in someone else's presence. To bond. Or something like that, anyway, "but only if you promise not to touch my lucky cup again."

Juyeon's ears droop.

Serves him right.

ᓚᘏᗢ

"Eric, can I move in with you?" is not something that he'd thought he'd end up asking any time soon but now he's here, half sitting on Eric's bed and half leaning over the said boy's frame and the words are out of his mouth before he even registers it.

It's a bit too late to take them back now, but, well, the least he can do is commit to it. So he digs his chin into Eric's shoulder and turns to stare at him, hoping that he comes off as convincingly innocent as possible.

"We don't accept freeloaders," Sunwoo chimes in from the other side of the room, doesn't even give Eric any room to reply, probably out of fear that he would give into Hyunjae's plea without much thought. Which was, perhaps, fair of him, but Hyunjae bristles anyway.

The thing is, Hyunjae still can't wrap his head around their relationship. Or rather, how someone as precious as _his_ (Hyunjae's!) Eric could end up with the Devil Incarnate himself. Maybe he's being biased, sure, but can he really be blamed for it when the said brat keeps bullying him every time Hyunjae steps into their shared space? As far as he's concerned, he's the only person that Sunwoo has deemed his mortal enemy and he doesn't even know the reason why.

Besides, he wouldn't be a freeloader, he'd happily pay up in hugs and cuddles. But only for Eric. Sunwoo may get a shoulder pat and _maybe_ even a single cat treat that Hyunjae may or may not have swiped from Juyeon, if he'd act nicely for once.

Seeing as he'd just insulted Hyunjae, though, the cat treat offer is out of the question now.

"Kicking a man when he's already down, really?" he whines, maybe a bit too loud, going by the way Sunwoo _almost_ perfectly masks his wince, "where's your honour?"

The other doesn't react to his jab, however, which is even more insulting. Hyunjae can't believe this audacity.

At least Eric comes to his rescue. If the boy wasn't a werewolf, Hyunjae may have sworn he saw a beam of halo encircle his silhouette.

He tuts, turning to face Hyunjae. Eric, for one—Hyunjae thinks bitterly—looks worried about him, unlike _someone_ sitting by the desk on the other side of the room. As if hearing his thoughts, Sunwoo shivers.

"What's bothering you, bro?" Eric asks, and if it were anyone else to use the term in relation to Hyunjae, his soul may have left this mortal plane of existence for good but since it's Eric, he finds out that he doesn't really mind it.

Now that he thinks about it, he tolerates a lot more things from the said boy than he would from anyone else.

He isn't even entirely sure why he has such a soft spot for the younger—maybe it's because Eric reminds him of himself, in a way, or maybe because they'd first met only days after the boy got turned and he seemed so confused and lost at the time that Hyunjae couldn't do anything else but comfort him. Either way, he doesn't regret basically adopting Eric—even if it brings him to this exact moment.

That is, sitting in the same room as his self-proclaimed mortal enemy.

"Stop calling him that," Sunwoo interjects before Hyunjae could even _consider_ replying, "you're not related. You're literally two different species."

Eric only peers up at him with feigned innocence, like he really has no idea what his boyfriend may be talking about. Hyunjae, on the other hand, remains quiet for barely a second before he says, deadpan, "that's a lie. He's my child. I personally gave birth to him."

And perhaps Sunwoo scowls at him but, on the contrary, Eric nearly falls over from laughter so at least one person appreciates his comedic genius.

Anyway. He came here with one thing in mind, and that is: complaining. So complain, he does.

"Why did I ever think that living with a fucking… catboy, of all things, was a good idea?"

He's pretty sure he hears Sunwoo mutter something along the lines of _because you're a dumbass, obviously_ , though he can't be sure. He thinks he may have guessed right when Eric throws a pillow at his boyfriend, going strictly by his enhanced hearing—perks of being a werewolf, Hyunjae supposes—before he turns to Hyunjae again as if nothing even happened, and he actually looks concerned when he asks, "why, is he causing you trouble?"

"Nothing serious, no, but," he drifts off, trying to find the words to fully convey their weird dynamic, "he's just so… man, he acts like an _actual_ fucking cat sometimes, and I just don't get why he acts the way he does, and, like. The first time I saw him I thought he was handsome, and he's still kinda cute now, I guess, but sometimes he annoys the shit out of me with all these weird habits of his. Like I see him and I just feel the need to punch the nearest wall. Not that I ever do, because one, what the fuck, and two, ouch, but. Yeah. It's confusing."

By the time he pauses his rant he feels Sunwoo's calculative stare on him, but he tries to ignore it in order to look at Eric, maybe plead into getting some feedback from him. The younger looks mildly alarmed, but that's probably better than any alternative, in Hyunjae's book at least.

"Woah," Eric says, drawing out the word, "I'd never even think you could be so aggressive."

Hyunjae wrinkles his nose, "that's because I'm _not_. You know damn well that I'm basically an angel," there's a muffled snort from the other side of the room that Hyunjae _doesn't_ pay attention to, "listen, I—I don't even know what takes over me, okay? I'm only like this around Juyeon, and it only happens when he pulls something dumb. Or when he looks more endearing than it should be allowed. Either or."

"Endearing, huh," Sunwoo echoes from the side.

Once again, Hyunjae decides to act like the little demon doesn't exist. Truly, he has the patience of a saint, everyone should give him more credit for that, "and like, I get that his soul is part cat or whatever but he's still mostly human? So why does he act this way? Like, yesterday I went to the bathroom and not even a minute later I heard him wailing from outside—I'm pretty sure he even scratched the door at one point—so obviously I tried to hurry up but by the time I opened the door, he didn't even seem interested in walking in, as if he was just being annoying for the sake of it!"

Eric pouts, patting his shoulder. It's not very effective, but he appreciates the effort anyway.

Meanwhile, Sunwoo continues to consider him for a long moment. Hyunjae really doesn't like being scrutinised so closely. Even by Sunwoo. No, _especially_ not by Sunwoo.

"You know that feeling when you find something so overwhelmingly cute that your instincts tell you to immediately get rid of it?" he eventually says, looking at Hyunjae with… something, in his eyes, something that can't mean any good, "as messed up as it sounds, I think that's just how your brain perceives Juyeon."

"Well, my brain can kindly fuck off, then," he mutters back, vaguely aware of Eric snorting beside him, "I mean, I'd imagine that it really would be easier to live with someone when you're not constantly holding yourself back from throwing hands."

Then, for the first time since he decided to bother the two, he meets Sunwoo's gaze. For a moment, they can call a truce, simply because Hyunjae may be a bit desperate at this point because he's losing his damn mind and he doesn't know what to do about this weird relationship he has with his part-cat part-human flatmate.

"Maybe you just need to admit that you have a crush on him, then?" Sunwoo chimes in again, and immediately Hyunjae throws the plan of a truce out of the window and he deems that he hates the sound of Sunwoo's voice because he's not only assuming stuff about him but he's also _wrong_ while doing so. That makes it even worse.

Hyunjae doesn't have feelings for his flatmate. Especially not _the_ flatmate, the same one that steals his clothes sometimes because they apparently 'smell nice' (Hyunjae isn't inclined to believe that, though) and the same one that rarely purrs—actually purrs, Hyunjae can't believe that either—seemingly without even realizing, when Hyunjae clings to him whenever he feels especially touch starved.

He does _not_ have a crush. And definitely not on Juyeon, out of all people. Sunwoo is just a brat. That's all there is to it.

He makes sure to voice that thought, and he feels a sliver of satisfaction when the other scowls. But it only lasts a couple of seconds, before Sunwoo replies with, "okay, keep telling yourself that. But don't ask me for advice ever again."

Way to be cryptic.

"I never did. You'd think I'd listen to _you_?"

And, well, turns out it's a good thing that Eric is still with them in the same room because Hyunjae is pretty sure that his presence is the only thing stopping Sunwoo from straight up lunging at him.

Hyunjae counts it as a win.

ᓚᘏᗢ

It's a beautiful evening.

He's in his dimly lit room, watching this one new drama that piqued his interest recently. The sun is setting outside, and he can see the golden slivers of light slipping in through the curtains just to spill over the wooden floor. He's wearing a fuzzy pair of socks and there's the comfortable weight of a warm blanket settled over his shoulders; he even went as far as to make himself hot chocolate before starting the show, just to make this moment even better. Lastly, there's Juyeon's silhouette peeking through the open door.

Wait.

Hyunjae does a double check.

He lifts his gaze from the computer with his hands still firmly holding onto the drink, and as it turns out, the tall figure hovering outside indeed belongs to Juyeon. He has no clue why the other would come to bother him at this time, or why he can't even walk in like a normal fucking person. Come on, he almost mistook Juyeon for a ghost. This is absurd.

For a moment, neither of them move. It feels almost like some cryptid encounter, what with Juyeon's stupid reflective eyes standing out from his otherwise completely shadowed form.

Then, just as Hyunjae starts to think that perhaps he's actually hallucinating all of this, Juyeon steps inside with a grin that looks almost shy, contrary to the way he invites himself into a room that is definitely not his—and Hyunjae mutters a vague but confused greeting before turning back to watch the episode. Damn. He forgot to pause it when he got distracted. Now he doesn't even have any idea what's happening anymore.

So he rewinds it a few minutes back, then picks up his drink to take a sip but he almost ends up spilling it all over his desk when he's interrupted by Juyeon quite literally bumping into him.

Weirded out, he wheezes, waiting for his hot chocolate to stop splashing around inside the cup before finally setting it down. After he's sure that one, it's safe now, and two, it's out of Juyeon's reach, he turns around in the armchair to stare at the other.

Juyeon still has that little smile on his lips. Hyunjae really doesn't know what's so funny about this entire situation.

He reminds himself that he's a pacifist. Maybe if he repeats it enough times then he's actually going to believe it.

Then, Juyeon slowly stretches his arms out, as if waiting for something. Hyunjae only blinks at him at first, before realization actually settles in.

He's asking for a hug. He does so in a way that's both weird but also kind of endearing at the same time, and it stuns Hyunjae enough into doing some vague hand gesture. Probably inviting Juyeon in. He's not even sure himself.

The other seems to interpret it as a _come sit in my lap_ gesture, though, which is something that Hyunjae would never even thought could be expressed with a simple gesture as that but, well, he's not going to correct him.

It's too late to push Juyeon away, anyway, as he's already made himself comfortable on Hyunjae's lap, before taking a hold of Hyunjae's hands so it ends up as some weird interpretation of a hug regardless. And. Well. Juyeon is also, apparently, a human sized furnace—is this a cat trait? Hyunjae wouldn't know—so all in all, he thinks better of complaining. At least it's warm.

So that's how he ends up with an overgrown cat sprawled out on top of him while trying to watch a drama over said stupid cat's shoulder. While they're at it, Hyunjae has to add, Juyeon has no business having such wide shoulders. Hyunjae can't see shit like this.

At least Juyeon doesn't shove his drink down this time. Though he still keeps an eye out, just in case.

(He doesn't let himself think that he enjoys cuddling with Juyeon like this way more than he probably should.)

ᓚᘏᗢ

After almost a whole year of living with the person that Hyunjae affectionately dubbed his dumbass catboy friend slash _crossed out_ (very important detail) crush—with a question mark attached—he finally ends up googling cat behavior. Because proper research seems required at this point. Or something.

The fact that Juyeon catches him doing so, though, is embarrassing, he has to admit.

"What are you doing?" the boy in question asks, hovering over the armchair Hyunjae is perched on. Speaking of the devil, he muses, lowering his phone to his chest in hopes that Juyeon doesn't see his awkward attempt at understanding his flatmate's actions.

"Nothing important," he lies through his teeth. It must show on his face, too, because one of Juyeon's ears flick, though he doesn't comment on it. He just stares at Hyunjae. Waiting.

Damn Juyeon and his stupid big feline eyes. Hyunjae gives in ridiculously quickly.

So he shows the other his screen, and watches as Juyeon's gaze flickers first with curiosity then amusement. He even tries to hold back a laugh, obviously failing, since Hyunjae sees the upturn of his lips. But then he says, "you know, you could just ask."

Which may be a logical solution but Hyunjae has a reputation to upkeep. So he squints and mutters back, "you don't really give me the time to ask when you go through with your catboy shenanigans."

The sound that comes out of Juyeon afterwards sounds like something between a snort and a whine. Honestly, Hyunjae can't tell whether that's a good reaction or not, but then the other's ears droop, his tail swishing from one side to another in what he can only guess may be an annoyed manner, before Juyeon replies, "I'm a cat _spirit_. Not a cat _boy_. There's a difference."

"Is there?" Hyunjae shoots back, skeptical. Not that he knows enough about this topic to actually debate it, but, well, that won't stop him from doing so.

Juyeon makes a face. Weirdly enough, Hyunjae finds it kind of cute.

"Yes. We're called that for a reason. You don't call fox spirits foxgirls or whatever, now, do you?" and before Hyunjae has the time to reply that he's going to, actually, use that term from now on, just to annoy the other, Juyeon adds in, "it feels like you're making fun of me by calling me that."

"That's because I am," Hyunjae deadpans, barely even registering Juyeon swiping at him before he feels the light punch to his shoulder. Which, honestly, may have been deserved, but that doesn't change the fact that he doesn't like it.

He glances down at the phone still in his hand, at the google search that's still open as well, reminding him that he should probably be trying to get along with Juyeon instead of being a little shit, unfortunately. He drops his gaze to the floor, then glances up at the other again, "okay, I'm sorry, I didn't really mean that."

It's probably not the best apology he's ever stated, and it doesn't even mention all the other times he'd cussed Juyeon out for behaving, well, the natural way for his own species, he supposes. It probably makes him the bad guy here. That is, him usually getting exasperated or angry without trying to understand Juyeon first. He should really start acting like a decent flatmate for once.

Despite it all, Juyeon seems to accept his apology.

He nods, then takes a seat on the chair standing across from Hyunjae, right by the living room table. He sits facing the back of the chair, for some reason, folding his arms on top of it before he rests his chin on his hands, peering down at Hyunjae with… something, in his gaze, almost fondness, maybe—if Hyunjae could ever make him feel that way. He doesn't believe that he could.

Hyunjae clears his throat.

"So, um… what's up with your ears?" he asks, as tactless as that may sound. He tried his best to word his question respectfully, obviously failing despite his best attempts, though Juyeon doesn't seem to mind much.

He watches as Juyeon tilts his head, in that adorably confused manner, "what about them?"

"I mean, like, do you consciously move them or…?"

Juyeon blinks. Then he chuckles, shaking his head slowly, "not really. It's just body language, a lot of the time I'm not very aware of it, like most people aren't," with that, he gestures towards Hyunjae's leg, which makes him realize that up until now, he'd been nervously bouncing it. He wills himself to stop, and Juyeon continues, "it's easier to understand others when you recognize their body language, so. If you really want us to get along better, I'd start with that."

Processing the words, Hyunjae nods. He makes a mental note to properly research it this time, as simply typing _cat behavior_ into Google and barely glancing at the very first two search results wasn't very helpful to begin with.

Then a thought pops into his mind and he says, "well then, please explain to me why you get to throw a hissy fit when I apparently don't pay enough attention to you, yet when I _do_ try to hug you, you just—you squirm away, like, half of the time. I don't get it."

This, Hyunjae notes, is what gets Juyeon to look bashful. His ears flatten against his head, and he's got this part guilty part embarrassed look on his face as he replies, "um, sometimes I just don't feel like cuddling and all that, I guess."

Hyunjae pauses. He expects the other to go on, so when nothing else comes, he admits that he feels a bit thrown off, "wait, that's all? Really? I thought you just did this to annoy me."

Now it's Juyeon's turn to look surprised, "huh?"

"Like," he starts to say but then drifts off, suddenly aware of how lacking his logic may sound. But in his defense, he had nothing to go off of, so is it really his fault that he'd just kind of assumed that his flatmate secretly vowed to ruin Hyunjae's life?

Well, perhaps it is his fault. He decides to ignore that though, "I thought you kinda just… tried to get my attention first by inconveniencing me, just to later act all mighty in that _oh, actually, I don't need you, haha bye_ kind of way."

Juyeon blinks at him, slow, clearly still processing his words. Then, when it finally sinks in, his eyes fly open and he states, "oh, no, no way—I really didn't mean it like that. Sorry for not making that clear enough."

"It's okay, I shouldn't have assumed anyway."

That earns him an easy smile from Juyeon. Obviously, he mirrors it. Both because it's the civil thing to do and because… he just can't stop himself from doing so.

Perhaps it's really late to start actually getting along after already living with each other for most of the past year, but it's a start nonetheless. If things really get better from now on, then Hyunjae supposes that it was worth the wait.

They just need to learn to understand each other better from now on. It's going to be a long ride, he's well aware of that fact, but at this very moment, Hyunjae lets himself feel hopeful.

ᓚᘏᗢ

It's late afternoon and Hyunjae finds himself unable to move.

That would probably sound concerning taken out of context, but there's no need to worry. Hyunjae can't move because Juyeon just fell asleep with his head in Hyunjae's lap and he's scared of waking him up, that's all. The only thing he's truly worried about is his own, poor heart.

Carding his hands through Juyeon's locks, he's surprised to note how soft it feels. His own hair texture resembles dried out grass after he messed up dyeing his own hair not that long ago (so what if he got distracted and didn't wash the dye out in time?), so this is a nice change.

He wonders if cat spirits can dye their hair, if it's safe to do so given their fuzzy ears. During all the time they have lived together, he hasn't seen Juyeon in any other hair color than black, but then, it hasn't even been a full year yet, so that doesn't give him too much insight.

Speaking of the ears. Hyunjae wonders what it's like to pet them.

He never actually did so, out of fear of accidentally offending Juyeon, but now that the said boy sleeps peacefully on his lap and his ears are _right there_ , Hyunjae really can't stop himself from moving his hand towards them. He pauses, then lightly scratches at the base of one the ears, and it only takes a few seconds before a purr rumbles out of Juyeon's throat.

He's purring while asleep. Hyunjae can't take this.

Fortunately, he's saved from an upcoming gay crisis by his phone vibrating in his pocket, dangerously close to Juyeon's head. The spirit's ears flicker towards the sound but do nothing more than that; he doesn't seem to actually wake up. Though, Hyunjae panics and pulls it out of his pocket as fast and quietly as possible.

Glancing at the caller's name shown on the screen, he thinks, of course. Obviously Eric, of all people, would have bad timing like this. Not that Hyunjae isn't glad that the pup called him, but Eric could have waited a few more minutes, you know, spare him that scare and all.

He clears his throat and accepts the call. Before he can even say anything, Eric already butts with a drawn out yell of his name.

He snickers, "well, hello to you too," then, he adds as softly as possible, so the other doesn't think that Hyunjae's actually bothered by any of this, "why did you call me? Did something happen?"

The thing is, yes, the two of them text a lot, but that's about it. They don't usually need to call each other when they live close enough to simply meet up instead, so Hyunjae thinks it's fair that he gets a tiny bit worried.

At least this time, it seems like he doesn't have to, as Eric only chirps back, "no, just checking up on you."

"Oh," he says, eloquent as always, "I'm good. Tired, but good. What about you?"

At first, the only reply that comes is a shuffling sound, one that he vaguely registers as a shifting blanket. He supposes Eric is just getting comfortable. Seems like this is going to be a long talk.

"Same," the boy replies, voice bordering on a whine.

It actually sounds like he's just as exhausted as Hyunjae is. Immediately, he feels his motherly instincts awaken, but he tries to pay them no mind. This doesn't seem like the right time to nag.

"Anyway, I was wondering," Eric speaks up again, and he hums for him to go on, "how's your flatmate problem?"

...Good question. Hyunjae wishes he knew the answer to it.

Peering down at Juyeon's positively unconscious face, he takes a moment to consider Eric's words. There has been some improvement, yes, that he's sure of; though he can't tell in what way, not exactly. Hyunjae still gets a bit irritated by some of Juyeon's actions, but not as often as he used to, and in turn Juyeon seems to cling to him just as much as Hyunjae usually clings to… all of his friends, really. So that's saying something. Probably.

"Currently asleep. In my lap. It should be illegal to look this endearing," the last part he adds as an afterthought, and Juyeon's ears flick towards him as he does so. It's cute. Too cute. Juyeon should absolutely be arrested for this.

Even though he's distracted, he's pretty sure he hears a muffled _called it_ through the call, unfortunately recognizing the voice to belong to Sunwoo. So the devil can hear him. Just his luck.

"Eric. Am I on speaker?"

There's a beat of silence. It almost sounds guilty. He's sure that the younger's metaphoric tail just stopped wagging.

"...Yes?"

He heaves out a long-suffering sigh, "turn it off. I don't want that gremlin overhearing everything and judging me."

Now, Sunwoo's voice definitely sounds more comprehensive as he yells _who are you calling a gremlin, huh?_ and Hyunjae ignores him this time around, just to add salt to injury. Sweet, sweet revenge.

Only when he's sure that Eric did as he's told, does Hyunjae continue, "anyway, we basically decided to call a truce. He tries not to bother me too much while I'm busy and I try to keep my distance when he wants his alone time. Key word _try_ , though. It doesn't _always_ work."

With that, he flicks one of Juyeon's ears pointedly, and the unfortunate victim jerks his head away; though he still seemingly remains asleep. Must be having a nice dream or something if he refuses to wake up even at such a moment.

Hyunjae squints down at him, but decides against testing just how deep Juyeon's sleep may be. Maybe one day he'll stack up a bunch of crackers on Juyeon like in these cat videos he's seen.

One day. But not today. Not that Hyunjae can even get up to get any food in the first place.

"What about you, though?" he chimes up, trying to stir the topic away from himself, "still haven't lost your mind despite living with the Devil Incarnate himself?"

Eric hums; the sound comes out a bit faint, so Hyunjae turns the volume up, just to hear the other more clearly. After a beat, Eric finally teases back, "careful, or I'll tell him that you called him that."

"As if he's not self-aware," he murmurs, earning himself a snicker from the younger, but it quickly changes into a whine as Eric says something along the lines of _stop bullying him_ or _he's not that bad_ or whatever, Hyunjae doesn't care enough to listen.

Nothing that Eric may ever say about Sunwoo could change his opinion of the little demon.

He's about to voice that thought, when he registers movement from the corner of his eye. He pauses, lowering his head to scrutinize Juyeon closely.

"Wait," he says, earning himself a confused sound from Eric. Well, at least he's not the only one that currently feels puzzled. He takes his time explaining himself, because even he isn't entirely sure what he's seeing, "Juyeon's entire face just started flinching. Like, he's scrunching his nose and crinkling his eyes and twitching his lips, and—what the fuck. What's happening? He's still certainly asleep…?"

"Huh," is all that Eric replies with for what feels like a good minute. Very helpful. Amazing, truly. Hyunjae has a sarcastic remark ready to spit out but then the younger finally adds in, "maybe he's having a really vivid dream, or something like that. Who knows, perhaps some cats just do that while they sleep. That would explain it."

And even though that doesn't sound very convincing, it's the only logical explanation they have at hand, so Hyunjae decides to believe that. He continues to stare at Juyeon oddly for a few more seconds, before he goes back to petting his hair lightly.

"The more you know," he murmurs, somewhat jokingly but not quite. Eric chuckles anyway.

Juyeon doesn't wake up for the next hour; by the time that he does, Hyunjae makes sure to let him know just how sore his legs are.

(Not very, that is. He's just being dramatic. But it earns him this amused look from Juyeon that he can't stop thinking of for the rest of the day, so all in all, things are good.)

ᓚᘏᗢ

It's been a whole year now since Hyunjae has moved in with Juyeon. Not that Hyunjae is counting (he is), but looking at the calendar just to come to that realization… it feels right. Maybe the two of them mix together better than he first gave them credit for.

Therefore, he starts the day by blowing a party horn right in Juyeon's still sleeping face.

The other swats at him for doing so, but alas, it's worth it when Juyeon actually cracks his eyes open and the understanding eventually settles in. So perhaps Hyunjae isn't the only one counting. At least he doesn't have to worry about Juyeon forgetting anniversaries, then.

The sprite stole his party horn afterwards but he really couldn't bring himself to feel bitter about that; not while he's in this weirdly sentimental mood. Even Juyeon had eyed him oddly during breakfast, so it's probably obvious how relieved he is.

Because, thinking back, past Hyunjae really was lucky that he'd picked _this_ over all the other questionably cheap options. So what if his flatmate isn't entirely human? At this point, he's pretty content with living with Juyeon. He can't even imagine never getting to know this overgrown kitten.

So maybe Eric isn't the only person that Hyunjae has a soft spot for. Maybe Juyeon has earned this special place in Hyunjae's heart, as well.

Not that he would admit it, though.

But maybe he doesn't need to. Maybe they can keep existing in each other's presence without voicing such thoughts. Communication is key, yes, Hyunjae has learned that through the disaster that were the first few months they have lived together—but this… maybe this is the one thing that Hyunjae should keep to himself. The fact that he may, actually, have _feelings_ for his flatmate.

And even though it took him way too long to admit this, it doesn't feel like just a small, casual crush anymore. It feels like something that Hyunjae may have a problem controlling from now on.

But that's okay. He's alright, he'll figure this out with time. He may not be the best at ignoring his own emotions, but the least he can do is try.

It's not like he even expects anything to come out of this, not when their friendship is as fragile as it is. Just a month ago Hyunjae had to stop himself from lunging at Juyeon because of the smallest misunderstandings; this probably isn't the right time to confess anything.

Not now. Not ever.

No, Hyunjae isn't a coward. He's just being realistic. There's no way this would work, so why would he try to convince himself otherwise?

Exactly.

There's no point in getting his hopes up. He'll just have to keep this a secret and hopefully Juyeon won't notice a thing. If Hyunjae is lucky enough.

Hyunjae just has to act normal. That is, his usual clingy self. Which may make this a bit harder than it sounds in theory, but Hyunjae is determined to make this work; if all he can hope for from Juyeon is friendship, he'll settle for that.

Because being friends with Juyeon is already enough for him. Besides maybe for the convenience and saving money, the reason why they have lived together this long is because somewhere deep inside him, Hyunjae had hoped that despite their differences, they would get closer. Close enough to call each other a _friend_ instead of a _flatmate_.

He hadn't expected anything more. So why would he suddenly raise his expectations higher than that? Juyeon doesn't owe him anything, and Hyunjae isn't enough of an asshole to think so.

He's alright with their relationship as it is.

Even if, in a shadowed place at the back of his mind that Hyunjae prefers to pay no attention to, he _yearns_.

So, despite what one would think, when Hyunjae walks into Juyeon's room that afternoon to find the other in the middle of a power nap, Hyunjae is content. He's happy just to see the other comfortable around him, and so he shuffles closer, until he stands right in front of the bed.

He runs his hand through Juyeon's hair, tender at first, but then starts to properly ruffle it up to get the other to wake up. For the second time that day. Because Hyunaje may actually be a demon in disguise or something of that sort.

When Juyeon wakes up, it's with this adorable little noise. Something like a hum, or maybe even almost a purr, just a note more chipper. Like an actual kitten.

It's cute. Hyunjae may be a bit whipped.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he says, and for the record, Juyeon doesn't seem offended. Quite the opposite, he seems to take that as a compliment, going by the way the corner of his lips tilts up the slightest bit as he blinks up at Hyunjae. Curious, he makes a mental note, before adding in, "can I join you? I'm feeling quite sleepy myself."

In response, all Juyeon does is pull the blanket back, enough to make some room for Hyunjae to sink into the mattress. Which, he obviously does. Immediately. Simply because he's that weak.

And as Juyeon stretches out his arm to properly cover Hyunjae with the blanket, he thinks, perhaps living with a cat spirit isn't that bad. Maybe it's not just _manageable_ , either.

Maybe there are some surprisingly great aspects to it. Because, when Hyunjae clings to the sprite in question, and Juyeon doesn't feel the need to push him back… that's nice. And Hyunjae is comfortably warm like this.

He's pretty sure he never used to take as many naps in the middle of the day before meeting Juyeon, but maybe he doesn't mind that his cat habits are rubbing off on Hyunjae. Not when he gets to have _this_.

ᓚᘏᗢ

So to say that Hyunjae gets used to Juyeon's weird cat shenanigans at some point would be surprisingly accurate. Sure, he may not _completely_ understand some of the things that the other does, but at least he'd built up some sort of tolerance for it.

And it really shows. Like it does right now.

Right now, that is, in their living room, in the middle of the couch, while they're supposed to be watching a movie… that, sadly, ends up mostly ignored.

Apparently, Juyeon doesn't seem to be interested in this one. A shame, really, because Hyunjae picked it out specifically with Juyeon in mind. Turns out he still doesn't know his flatmate's tastes that well, despite all the time that passed.

So what is Juyeon doing instead of watching the movie like a normal human person? Well, he decided that grooming Hyunjae would be the best way to pass the time. Grooming, meaning: like a cat. Literally.

Hyunjae never even would have thought that a cat spirit would still choose to use their tongue to clean things instead of, like, water, or things that are actually made with cleaning in mind—and yet here he is. Holding in a shriek while Juyeon hovers over him, tongue peeking out between his lips and eyebrows furrowed in… concentration, probably. As if he was actually doing some important task. Hyunjae would take offense that Juyeon feels like his face isn't already perfect enough, if only the sprite didn't look so focused on his work.

...If it could be called work.

Hyunjae digresses.

So, this may not be your usual experience, but Hyunjae learns something today—it's not very surprising anymore, if he's being honest, but it's still an interesting discovery. Juyeon's tongue isn't exactly humanlike. Quite the opposite, as when Juyeon licked experimentally at his cheek, all that Hyunjae could pay attention to was the rough, almost scratchy texture—well, besides maybe the fact that he was still a bit weirded out by this entire situation.

You know. The whole face licking thing doesn't really happen to him too often so he feels like he has every right to feel a bit puzzled.

But then he remembers that despite everything, a part of Juyeon is still feline so this may be normal to him. Just your daily cat way to bond. Except that unlike him, Hyunjae is very much human and people don't generally do this kind of thing.

Well. Hyunjae could make an exception, he supposes. Only because Juyeon is cute.

It's perfectly normal for your cat sprite friend to treat you like a fellow cat, right? Totally.

That's why Hyunjae keeps his mouth shut and tries not to comment when Juyeon tries to move a bit higher, this time licking at his temple. Hyunjae has to remind himself a good few times in just under a minute that this is normal, that Juyeon is just attempting to bond with him because they're _friends_ and maybe Sunwoo or Eric would burst out laughing if they saw this _but_ they aren't here so their opinions don't matter. This isn't weird at all. Juyeon is just trying to make him prettier, or cleaner, or… something.

God, at this point he may never fully understand cats.

"Having fun?" he eventually asks. He doesn't taunt; even if it sounds like it, he's not being a bully. This time.

But Juyeon only shushes him in reply. He still looks so focused, for whatever reason, to the point that it's starting to make Hyunjae a bit nervous. Is Hyunjae that much of a lost cause? No, of course not, he's being ridiculous.

When Juyeon licks his face again, though, he must have calculated it wrongly, or something, because he makes some pathetic wheeze before pulling back; Hyunjae is only confused for a split second before he notices the hair stuck on Juyeon's tongue. And Juyeon looks so offended that he can't help but laugh.

This, that is Juyeon throwing a hissy fit while he tries to get rid of Hyunjae's hair, was not a sight he could have ever imagined, but he knows he's going to treasure it for a long time; simply because it's just so ridiculous that it's funny.

The other doesn't even glare at him, probably too busy trying his best to get the stupid hair off, but despite Juyeon's attempts it only seems to stick to his tongue more intently. Eventually, Hyunjae takes pity on him; he grabs Juyeon by the shoulder to keep him in place and pulls the hair off on the first try.

Which is very heroic of him, given the fact that he could have just gotten his phone out and taken a bunch of pictures of Juyeon's struggle. So this proves that Hyunjae is indeed an angel.

Sunwoo just lost the privilege of being able to make fun of him. Not that he ever really had it, but, Hyunjae will make sure to inform him. Because he's an angel, after all, so it should be illegal to bully him from this point on.

Another win for the Hyunjae nation. Nice.

"So, are you done now?" he prods again, and it takes all his power not to cackle when Juyeon nods, looking almost crestfallen. Hyunjae probably shouldn't be this amused by his antics, but, well, that's better than the alternative (which is Hyunjae going back to getting _annoyed_ ) so perhaps this is a nice change in the end.

"Good," he adds, earning himself a confused look from the other. So he points towards the TV, "you forgot all about the movie."

But Juyeon only spares it a short glimpse before he mutters, "it's boring, anyway."

Feigning hurt, Hyunjae gasps, raising a hand to clutch at his chest dramatically, "I chose it for _you_ ," though his theatrics gain him basically nothing because Juyeon just shrugs, looking at him with pursed lips.

Then, Juyeon glances at the movie again (it's still going. Hyunjae stopped paying attention to the plot a good ten minutes ago) before he states, "you're more interesting anyway."

And Hyunjae doesn't know what to do about this situation, but his heart flutters in his chest anyway.

Despite everything, he thinks, he was right about one aspect of living with Juyeon; and that was, Juyeon may lead to his end.

(A tad dramatic of a thing to say, but that's what Hyunjae is the best at.)

ᓚᘏᗢ

To summarise, a lot has changed. About their dynamics, about their friendship; though most of that change happened all under a month.

It's a good type of change, though.

Especially when it means that not only does Hyunjae have a place to stay at, and doesn't need to look for another (damn Sunwoo and his instant rejection. Hyunjae knows that he would be a pleasure to live with), he also had learned that maybe differences between a human and a cat spirit aren't all that infuriating.

Surprisingly, he may have even started to think of them as… amusing, in a way. Perhaps even endearing.

Well, Juyeon is definitely _endearing_ when Hyunjae wakes up from a nap to find the other laying on top of him with a lazy smile. Hyunjae's heart nearly leaps out of his chest, but that's something he would rather ignore. He's got an image to uphold.

"Morning," Hyunjae greets, a tiny bit perplexed. Juyeon just gives him that delighted look.

"Wrong, it's already noon," he replies, way too proud of himself. Hyunjae can't even bring himself to feel irritated, though, because he really looks so satisfied, as if just being in Hyunjae's presence made him feel that way, "but hello to you too."

Though, that doesn't really explain why Hyunjae woke up like this to begin with. Like this, meaning, underneath a very smug cat sprite. For whatever reason.

So he clears his throat and asks, "not that it bothers me but why are you lying on top of me?"

And Juyeon only shrugs. As if this is the most normal thing in the world. Just, you know, chilling on top of your flatmates. Usual Tuesday morning (or afternoon, like Juyeon said), "it's comfy. Also, I have something to tell you."

That's what gets Hyunjae to actually, fully wake up. He blinks, suddenly intrigued, and isn't even aware of it when he inches closer, "yeah? I'm listening."

The responding smile reaches Juyeon's eyes. Hyunjae pretends like that sight alone doesn't punch all the air from his lungs.

"Do you know that saying about cats having exactly nine lives?" Juyeon starts, purposefully slow, because he _knows_ that Hyunjae is dying of curiosity and that fact is probably making him feel victorious, "well, I don't know about cats themselves, but cat spirits certainly do."

"Oh," is all that Hyunjae can think of saying. This isn't one of his best moments, he has to admit. But in his defense—only then does he realize that Juyeon's face is so close that all Hyunjae can focus on are Juyeon's eyes, impossibly dark and entrancing. He blinks down at Hyunjae, leisurely, like an actual relaxed kitten, and there's this dopey smile on his lips that looks so fond, it's overwhelming. Hyunjae barely can even form a reply, "that's, um, nice. Lucky you."

Just as Juyeon's grin widens, Hyunjae thinks that this, this exact sight, may eventually lead to his death. Simply because it's too adorable, so he's scared that his brain may start malfunctioning.

Though maybe it already did, given the fact that for once in his entire life Hyunjae is rendered speechless.

Man. Sunwoo would have been overjoyed to hear this. Hyunjae will have to take this secret with himself to the grave, just to protect his reputation.

"I really am," Juyeon murmurs back. His words almost sound like a purr, and that doesn't really help Hyunjae's poor heart. He even subconsciously holds his breath for a moment, watching as Juyeon tilts his head, warm gaze directed at Hyunjae—who, for one, can't quite believe this, though he's also pretty sure he may be looking at Juyeon in a manner that's just as sappy. Because he's whipped, apparently.

A whole year of living in denial and suddenly the cat is out of the bag. Or maybe it's quite literally lying on Hyunjae's chest. God, he can't take the metaphor seriously when anything feline related reminds him of Juyeon.

But then the sprite adds in, "I'm lucky, because I'll get to spend them with you," and Hyunjae's soul nearly leaves his damn body.

He didn't hear that right, did he? No, that's impossible. And yet, Juyeon is still peering down at him with that same satisfied look on his face and Hyunjae is pretty sure he has never felt this confused, "but—I don't really get to reincarnate like you? I'm human?"

Though, to his further puzzlement, Juyeon just tuts, his tail swishing from one side to another, "who says you'll _always_ be human?"

Which could be perceived as _extremely cryptic_ so if Hyunjae didn't know Juyeon as well as he does by now, he would have probably freaked out—but like this, right now he just nods, slow, trying to figure out what the other may be referring at.

When Juyeon speaks up next, he's got this glint in his eye. Hyunjae just can't tear his gaze away, "you've got that werewolf friend, for example. Humans don't necessarily stay 'human', not always," he explains, pausing just for a beat before he adds in, his smile widening, "you know, you'd make a cute puppy yourself."

It's probably meant to be a complement; his brain definitely registers it as one. He's sure that, while he pushes Juyeon back slightly, his own face looks a tad more flushed than it was before. He's also sure that Juyeon notices it, too.

He takes back everything nice he's ever said about Juyeon. He hates the damn overgrown cat.

(Now, that's a shameless lie. Going by the fact that he asks Juyeon out the very next day, he definitely doesn't _hate_ the other.

But don't let Sunwoo know that, the little demon won't let him live this down.)

**Author's Note:**

> ok this may not have been one of my best fics (mostly because i wrote some parts of it while literally down with The Virus) BUT i had fun writing it so that's all that matters! i hope u had fun reading this, too : D
> 
> here's my [twt](https://twitter.com/ddonibell)!


End file.
